To say that Mr. LeDisko had the crowd moving is a total understatement. Although the venue was filled with casual clubbers that wouldn’t necessarily be familiar with LA RIOTS as anything special, you wouldn’t have been able to tell from a “God’s Eye” perspective. Daniel progressivley built upon each song he dropped to make for a set that seemed well put together.

Variety is the keyword that described what I experienced that night. Some memorable songs that made appearances were Hardwell’s remix of Tiesto ft BT- Love Comes Again as well as Swedish House Mafia & Laidback Luke feat. Deborah Cox Leave the World Behind. He presented a rendition of Kaskade’s Turn It Down that made the crowd go absolutely nuts. Among the many remixes played, Daniel’s rendition of Emili Sande’s Daddy was one that immediately caught my attention and immediately gave me a good impression of what was to come. Filled with top tier house tracks and well thought out remixes, the set was amazing none the less. I left thoroughly impressed with what I had just witnessed, anxiously ready for the next time I’d see LA RIOTS.

Be expecting to hear more of LA RIOTS being talked about in the near future. With sets like Saturday’s it won’t be too long before LA Riots starts to headline bigger venues and is on the tongue of EDM fans everywhere.

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What easily could be the soundtrack for a scene in a village deep in the Amazon, the first and title track Yema, evokes a certain imagery of a tribal ceremony.  The eclectic nature of this track, and the EP as a whole, is such that it could easily belong on Diplo’s Mad Decent label.  Similar to Major Lazer, Damn Kids uses ethnic samples that serve to enhance the vibe of the track.

Totem, the second track, ominously asks “are you ready?!” and frankly I don’t think I was.  With it’s echoing samples, big room sound I was not ready for this one to drop.  What starts out as a minimal beat, it progressively adds more elements until you have a straight conga line jam.  There’s something about this EP that is both techy and deep to it and this track fully exemplifies that cross breed.

The third and final track, Buti features Caruzo as the two of them, in line with the previous two tracks produce a progressive, tribal, techy, deep beat.  Darker than the previous two, it marks a natural progression for the EP.  This track provides a clear example of Damn Kids’ minimalist instrumentation and his working theory here, “less is more”

Although it is only his second release, Damn Kids has shown he has a bright future and is ready to make his own unique sound heard.

Make sure to like Damn Kids on Facebook and pick up the EP on Beatport

What do you expect to see when you go to a Dubstep show with a huge headliner like Nero?… Packs of bros? Sweaty kids in colorful T-shirts waiving LED gloves in each other’s faces? Glowsticks? Not if you’re at the LIV in Miami Beach. Honestly, I didn’t know what to anticipate from a 21+ show on a Wednesday night with a cover charge of more than $60, but I should have known it would be epic. MMG was cool enough to offer us free tickets, and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity even if it involved a 600 mile drive on a random Wednesday night.

Tucked snugly inside the immensely luxurious Fontainebleau hotel, LIV nightclub captures the classic glamour of Miami Beach mixed with a flair of contemporary design. Simply put, the place is beyond classy. As I stood atop the elegantly curving stairway, holding my $9 New Castle and overlooking a packed house filled with incredibly beautiful women, I felt a bit out of place. Everyone around me was dressed to the 9’s, while I was sporting dirty jeans and an Electrojams T-shirt. I’m surprised they even let me in. I didn’t realize that I was inside the same club that Tiesto holds a residency until later when one of the locals was explaining to me that they party like that every Wednesday night. This is the same venue that Paris Hilton had her famous altercation with Steve Angello during WMC earlier this year. That is when I realized LIV is a nightclub where celebrities hang out and suddenly the cover charge made sense.

As much as I felt that this incredible venue deserved both members of Nero performing live on stage accompanied by Alana, Dan Stephens was the only member present in the DJ Booth behind four CDJs.  His set was decent though, displaying professional blending skills credited to a DnB background, and keeping the crowd hyped as well as keeping me interested. Impressively, about two thirds of the tracks played were originals, and I heard what I assume were a couple forthcoming Nero tunes as well. Beyond that, the track selection seemed a bit dated honestly. ‘Bass Cannon’ and Skrillex’s remix of ‘Le7els’ were among the tracks I held in question as to whether they are “played out” or “classic” at this point. However, Stephens truly won me over when he dropped ‘Squid Attack’ by Genetix, and after that point I was completely sold. One of the most influential names in dance music production, Stephens is definitely a powerhouse behind the decks as well, delivering what was surely a Friday night set to this Wednesday night crowd. The experience also led me to develop a working theory about how Nero tracks played at high volumes seem to have a profound effect on female libido. All the ladies seemed to be enjoying the music a little more than I was, if you catch my drift.

All said and done, I had an amazing time and I came home with nothing but good things to say about how they do in Miami. I want to give a huge thanks to MMG for having me as their guest and I hope to make it back there again sometime.

After their finale performance last night at Los Angeles’ Shrine Auditorium there is no question in my mind that Above & Beyond has cemented itself as a legend in modern music of this era, not just dance music or trance.

Joining them on their California dates, fellow Anjunabeats labelmate Andrew Bayer opened at 10PM as the night’s main support.  Playing an hour and a half set, Mr. Bayer brought out tracks from his new album It’s Artificial, a varying breed of progressive house, trance, techno, electronica and even some glitch-hop.  That said, Bayer did his part as an opener well, laying the ground work for what was an incredible and magical night.

In speaking on the album Group Therapy, Jono Grant said:

 “We are always looking to explore new territory but try to operate in our own way rather than just trying to follow trends,”

This statement could have not been more true last night.  While Paavo was missing from the CDJs, Tony and Jono engaged the crowd with  a spritual journey that  throughout the enitrity of their 2.5 hour set.  Between interacting with the crowd via their visual setup and on-screen messages, the heaps of confetti, and the playful and inflatable Paavo doll, Above & Beyond brought out all the stops in order to make the night unforgettable.   Bringing out nearly the entireity of Group Therapy, the masters also played classics such as Can’t Sleep, On A Good Day.  Additionally, they played Anjunabeats label mates tracks like Mat Zo’s recent smash The Sky and Maor Levi’s remix of Super8′s Alba.  Determined to not be limited by their own or their label’s collections, they dropped Porter Robinson’s Language and a version of Depeche Mode’s Personal Jesus.  Throughout the night, the crowd engaged with A&B as they sang back the lyrics to hits such as Sun & Moon, On My Way To Heaven, Thing Called Love.  They have truly captured the heart and soul of trance music.

While some people have said the dance music scene has recently lost it’s way with the increase in mainstream fandom, that could not have been further from the truth last night.

Love was in the air, positivity radiating from concert goers, PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity, Respect) abound.   For many people like myself, music has been an incredibly therapeutic part of our lives, and frankly would not be the same people with out.  Above & Beyond has taken this to heart with their releases, their labels Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep and have weaved themselves into the very fabric of their fans lives.  They have become an outlet for cathartic release for millions of fans around the world, at a time when most people are often bogged down by their baggage.  Last night was a night to release that and be free of it.  To move on.  To engage in Group Therapy.

To Paavo, Jono, & Tony:

Thank you.  You are truly something else and something this world needs.

A devoted fan.

32 cities, 32 different venues, and thousands of ragers bumping their heads to none other then Rusko. On May 14th, I had the privilege to see Rusko on his Spring tour perform live in Baltimore, one of the EDM capitals of the country, proving that this is one city that goes hard!

I’ve seen Mr. Mercer previously at massive events, but it doesn’t compare to seeing him more intimately and personally on a night dedicated to seeing him alone. He played his classics as well as new tracks from Songs and all I can say is wow. Crazy lights, his famous stage production, his crazy hair, and insane energy had everyone going crazy.

Sigma (his opening act) started off the night just right, playing great hits by Chase and Status, Flux Pavillion and Nero. He had the crowd jumping and left the crowd wanting more. When Rusko came on stage, everyone gathered up to try to get a better look and had everyone raising their hands jamming to the beat. It was a great night. Met new people, saw old friends, and raged with the ‘Bmore’ crew. If you haven’t bought a ticket yet for any of his 11 upcoming shows still left, I suggest you do. You’ll have the time of your life!

I had the chance to catch Bassnectar in San Jose this past Saturday (Cinco de Mayo) as part of the Vava Voom Tour, and the most prominent thought that I came away from the show with is that Lorin Ashton is unequivocally and indisputably an alien. While the Rapunzel-length hair is enough to inspire a tinge of doubt at Mr. Ashton’s earthliness, it was the entire atmosphere he created that reassured my suspicions of his ethereal origins.

Aside from the fact that the venue was reminiscent of a modified, prodigious high school gymnasium, every single aspect of the show, from the multi-chromatic lights to the tumultuous and tremendous bass, reinforced the idea that we had been transported to a new planet in which Bassnectar was not only king, but the very sculptor of its landscape, the architect of its environment, the puppeteer of its physical laws. The colors would melt into each other, only to suddenly darken in shadow, to suddenly morph into a sky, to remorp into rainbow spiraling spotlights. The lulls of the soundscapes pulled me in, the drops of the bass-titans spit me out.

What truly convinced me that this enigmatic entity (pictured above) is nothing less than a supernatural sensation was the undefinable, transcendental quality of his music. The simple conclusion that I came to is that it wasn’t just music. It was something more than that. It lifted my spirit at times, elevated my limbs at others. Sometimes it brought me crashing to the floor, others times it held me motionless and still, other times it invigorated my bones to a hurdling, springing frenzy. But it always held me in a careful transfixion, a wordless awe, a sublime hypnosis.

The thing that makes witnessing Bassnectar perform so goddam mesmerizing is the fact that he mixes with Ableton Live. This allows Bassnectar to deconstruct songs on the fly, as well as eliminate or warp single elements of tracks. It gives him the ability to resurrect songs limb by limb, bringing in just the kick snare slap, or sprinkling on sparkling synths, a hip hop acapella, some deep grungy bass. Remixing his own songs on the spot, he morphed countless tracks together. The resulting effect was  the most organic set I’ve ever experienced. It inhaled and exhaled sonic energy as it troughed and peaked in waves of carbon-based bass.

Opening with his symphonic edit to Wildstyle, a wall of curtains instantly dropped, revealing Bassnectar behind the decks with a giant sombrero over his head. The night consisted of a crusade through the catalog of time, as Bassnectar dropped tracks old and new throughout the daunting, delectable 2 and a half hour set. Allow me to recount my favorite moments…

Beatles’ “Strawberry Fields” with “Higher and Higher”, with a loop on “higher and higher”, pitch bending it higher and higher, until dropping it into “Cozza Frenzy”

J. Rabbit “Sexy Party” vs “Sexy Party” Terravita Remix

Jimi Hendrix “Fire” vs Jimi Hendrix “Purple Haze” into Deftones “Prince” (Bassnectar Remix)

Imogen Heap’s “Hide n Seek” into Bassnectar’s “Empathy” – straight chills at this moment

Bassnectar – “What” (so huge live)

“Laughter Crescendo” – never thought I would hear this live, one of my favorite tracks from the night; all the lights were off except a single spotlight on Lorin, he appeared like an enchanted sprite

Captain Hook vs Ill. Gates – “Close Your Eyes” – “just close your eyes, forget your name…” – truly haunting moment

Daladubz – “Pink Elephant” – “oh yes pink elephants”

Pennywise – “Bro Hymn” (Bassnectar Remix) – great way to end the night, so much energy!

All I can say is this: if you still have a chance to catch the Vava Voom Tour, by all means go. Sure, you may catch him at the next big festival you go to, but let me tell you, seeing him on tour is a whole different show. I was blown away by Bassnectar at Ultra. In fact, he was my favorite set of the weekend. Seeing him play again on the Vava Voom Tour was an entirely new experience. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT miss this tour.

Bassnectar, you are a God. Scratch that. Alien God.

Vava Voom Tour Dates

Amplfiy,  is a hard hitting track, driven by some luscious melodies and overall anthemic feel. Although it only recently was featured on ASOT 553, tt has an unmistakable classic sensibility to it that should keep it in your rotation for a while.

550, nearly won a competition as an anthem for ASOT 550.  There is something warm about this track that just powers you up and makes you want to keep dancing.  There’s a dreamlike quality to this and Amplify that really prove that trance is forever an art.

TRANCE IS NOT DEAD.

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Buy it on Beatport

“It’s a collection of various tracks that I’ve been working on for a little while and features all sorts of amazing people that I’ve been lucky enough to work with.

Although it’s been a while since we’ve been graced with some new releases from UK producer Jakwob, the wait is WELL worth the wait.  With his newest mixtape, The Prize, James Jacob re-establishes himself as the king of melodic dubstep.  Jakwob’s efforts here are more appropriately called post-dubstep or electronica, as the way the genre has evolved it’s important that this is distinct.  Overall, this mixtape is noticeably more meloidc and chilled out than his earlier efforts like his famous remix of Ellie Goulding’s Starry Eyed.  Enlisting the vocals and raps from a wide range including, Kano, 14^th, Roses Gabor, Ghostpoet, Youngman and Mr. Hudson. The mixtape as whole is a gem and shows a range of stylistic similarities to the likes of  James Blake, Burial, SBTRKT and even Radiohead’s Kid A; even still there are some more classic Jakwob tracks.

Soulful, organic.  Hypnotizing, melodic.  Chilling, relaxing.  There are more than 1,000 ways to describe this new release, but frankly it is one that must be FELT.  Sub-bass abound, Jakwob takes clear influences from other artists like SBTRKT (bouncy subbass), James Blake (reverb’d out and soulful vocals) and Burial (ethereal, moody soundscapes punctured by wood-based repercussion) on tracks such as the opener Turn To Stone or Stay. Stay has some beautiful instrumentation, with twanging strings that give it the same cinematic feel of a track from Post-Rock band, Explosions In The Sky Jacob takes more of a 2-Step and R&B feel with tracks like Please, (for which he enlists British rapper Kano to flow over) or Sailing (which Roses Gabor uses her beautiful voice to bring her soulful emotive feel).  For those who like a little more mid-range synthesizer action and wobbles, tracks like Erupt and Let It Fall have that.  At the same time though, Jakwob continues to bring his soulful vocal soundscapes that carry the mixtape as a whole.

The Prize is just that, a prize.  A bit unexpected in these parts, this mixtape is beautiful and amazing.  Listening to this is a meaningful experience and I for one am even more excited for his forthcoming studio album debut.

Now that SoundCloud has stopped the downloads, be sure to grab it via the official website

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Different from Levitate, this new EP brings a notably more energetic and harder sound that is complemented by some great lighter synths.  This new EP shows Diamond’s serious chops with some booming bass, hip-hop vibe, and pop attraction.  PD shows he can make a great song with female vocals like Can We Go Up, or use his skills to make vocal-less tracks like Airlift.  Opening track Turn The Lights Off is another equally strong track with it’s builds and glitch madness.  I

It’s great to hear Paper Diamond evolve his sound more and make more show ready tracks.  We love his first EP, but this one is awesome too.

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First up is OWSLA-signee and moombah it-boy, Dillon Francis.  He’s been coming out with a string of releases left and right, but the astounding thing is that none of them have lacked in quality.  To start off, Francis takes the original and slows it down, giving it an even more cinematic feeling to it.  With its drummer boy like snares, he goes right into the chorus with that classic Flux glitchy sound to it, splattered about with moombah breaks.  Francis makes it his own in the breakdown section with his tightly wound stuttery synths, that give this a very distinct upbeat sound to it.  Francis does a great job appropriating the style and feel of the original but still gives it his own unique treatment.

Hospital Records stalwart Danny Byrd jacks up the tempo and brings his liquid mojo to this remix and wins the award for best edition here.  Danny Byrd takes this track and skips out on some of the cliche trends and sticks to what he knows best; the classic wiry synthesizer-driven melody and punchy snares. This track really shows off Mr. Byrd’s incredible production skills with the great layering and energy he brings.

Rounding out the EP is another UK duo, Jack Beats.  The house duo  keep the same melodic builds, but when it drops, it drops.  They have their own unique kind of wobbly basslines that popularized through earlier remixes like Jack Got Jacked.  This remix is quite good but I have a feeling it’s not for everyone, as their sound is very distinct.  I really like it, but frankly I’m not even sure how to clearly label it other than house.  The good part is, it’s still music; which doesn’t need labels at all if you just want to groove out and enjoy it.

Stream the full EP here.

It comes out on iTunes in 2 days so grab it then.

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